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Volunteer founded and volunteer led, the YMCA was established in London, England, in 1844 by George Williams, a draper's shop assistant, to give young men an alternative to life on the streets.
In 1851, Thomas Sullivan, a retired sea captain and lay missionary, started the first U.S. YMCA in Boston. From there, YMCAs spread rapidly across America. Some were started to serve specific groups such as railroad and factory workers, African Americans, Native American and recent immigrants. After World War II, women and girls were admitted to full membership and participation.
YMCAs are collectively the largest not-for-profit community service organization in the U.S.
YMCAs are for people of all faiths, races, ages, abilities and income -- everyone is welcome.
YMCAs are at the heart of community life in America: 42 million families and 72 million households are located within three miles of a YMCA. |
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| The Hanover Area Family YMCA is an affiliated association of the YMCA of the USA. The original founders organized a citizens' committee who then recruited 1,200 members by the first meeting of the Association on October 1, 1968 also known as the Charter Night. The facility was originally located in a four story building on Carlisle St |
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| In 1971, the YMCA acquired the family center property located on George and Washington Streets in the northern section of the borough. It is upon this recreational site that the current facility operates.
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| Over the years, the Hanover Area Family YMCA Association grew steadily in both memberships and programs. The budget has also grown from $30,000 in 1972 to over $5.5 million in 2006. Currently, the Hanover Area Family YMCA Association is serving over 14,500 members and over 68,000 program participants at three locations: the Hanover YMCA, Littlestown YMCA and the South Hanover YMCA near the center of Hanover. |
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| In 1989, the Littlestown Branch of the Hanover Area Family YMCA opened as a storefront with an operating budget of $75,000. Today, the Littlestown YMCA has its own facility with a budget of over $700,000 serving over 2,000 members and 10,000 participants. |
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| On July 1, 2003 the Hanover Area Family YMCA opened the South Hanover YMCA branch at 1013 Baltimore Street. Today, the South Hanover YMCA has over 500 memberships and over 1100 members. The South Hanover YMCA is also a key component in many community collaborations. |
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| As a result of the steadfast commitment of our staff and volunteers to our vision, we are able to unite with local communities to build character in youth and teens, support and strengthen families and individuals of all ages, promote a healthy lifestyle, and encourage tolerance and respect for diversity. |
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Below are some newspaper articles highlighting the growth of our YMCA. These files are in PDF format. Once the file is opened you can change the zoom to 100% for easier reading.
If you have any historic articles or pictures please contact Louis Mart at lmart@hanoverymca.org or 717-637-2994.
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Hanover YMCA | 500 N George St, Hanover, PA 17331 | 717-632-8211
Littlestown YMCA | 95 Keystone St, Littlestown, PA 17340 | 717-359-9733
South Hanover YMCA | 1013 Baltimore St, Hanover, PA 17331 | 717-632-0294 |
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